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Nathan Paulsen

I have worked in human services for much of the past decade; during that time, I acquired an intimate viewpoint on the suffering that structural violence causes in the everyday life of our nation. In writing for War Times, I am particularly concerned with how the United States military machine – consuming hundreds of billions of tax-dollars on an annual basis to wage war and export death – has left us with fewer resources at home for health care, public education, affordable shelter, living wage jobs, domestic violence shelters, and other critical social needs.

Overall, my political perspective is informed by a European-American working class family background, a good dose of personal trial through despair, and a lot of love for long-haul movement strategies to build a more peaceful and sane world. I am confident that what poor and oppressed people lack in financial resources is more than made up for with our sheer numbers, smarts and ability to cooperate toward common goals. I believe building mass movement – and patiently bringing millions of people into active engagement with politics – is the best and most effective route to create social justice and a viable alternative to the dominant institutions that have failed our communities.

My hope that another world is possible is grounded in having witnessed collective action win material gains and change power dynamics. I am also inspired by the generations of organizers who faced serious risk to overcome difficult odds and succeeded in achieving abolition, suffrage, labor rights, social welfare, civil rights, domestic violence shelters, rape shield laws, and other concrete victories that improved the quality of our lives.